Railway Staff To Get Designer Wear By Ritu Beri

NEW DELHI : Five lakh railway employees comprising front office staff, TTEs, guards, drivers and catering personnel will soon don new uniforms created by fashion designer Ritu Beri woven around the theme of Indian culture.

Beri submitted four different sets of uniform, each with a distinct texture, to the Railway Ministry five days back and the public transporter will soon launch an online initiative on Twitter, Facebook and the ministry's website seeking the views of people to help it select the attire.

Beri said the look of the uniform will be an ode to India and her exoticism.

"The focus is to reflect modern India while respecting our deep-rooted tradition and culture, thus reflecting the glory of India. The uniforms will be Indo-western in cut and silhouette with comfort being the most important factor," she said.

The idea behind introducing the new uniform is to instill a sense of pride and belonging among the staff rendering their services to around two crore passengers every day, a senior official involved in the project said.

Currently, railway staff including TTEs, station masters and guards wear uniforms which were designed long ago. Beri's new collection includes sarees and T-shirts.

The new dress is expected to be ready for use by the year-end, the official said, adding a common uniform can be worn for ceremonial occasions like celebration of Railway Day, sporting events and prize distribution ceremonies.

"The idea is to create uniforms that are attractive, impactful and comfortable at the same time. I wish to retain our traditional look but give it a modern twist in keeping with today's times," Beri said.

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